Hip-Sip. A wearable stemware holder

ABSTRACT

The Hip-Sip is a wearable stemware holder designed to slip comfortably over the users clothing and provide a stable support for a variety of vessels. It is designed to hold the stemware slightly away from the body and allow the glass to gimbal in response to the users movements. The Hip-Sip is designed to slip over a belt or the top of pants. The bottom of the Hip-Sip is formed to cradle the bulb of stemware to allow the wearer to use two hands for any task at hand. The Hip-Sip is made from any suitable material such as plastic or metal and may be adorned with designs, logos or be of such quality to be functional artwork.

BACKGROUND

The Hip-Sip was inspired by Spring Barrel Tasting in the Yakima Valley wine country, where tasters are required to either bring their own glass or purchase one at the winery. The Hip-Sip is designed to allow the wearer a convenient way to use his or her hands to perform any task using both hands, from eating to greeting while securely holding the vessel. The Hip-Sip is stout enough to support a filled glass. It also allows the user to transport his or her wine glass from winery to winery, keeping it secure and freeing hands to carry wine bottles, for example. It also has the added advantage of preventing the loss of a glass by inadvertently leaving it on a table or bar.

LIST OF PRIOR ART

US Patent Number Patentee 4,860,895 M. Laslovits D554,856 L. Clanton D419.402 J. F. Baker D342,421 S. Dubow

Other solutions to a wearable holder involve necklaces such as described by L. Clanton. It limits the wearers ability to fully use his or her hands to carry anything heavy, such as a case of wine. In addition, removing the stemware from it's necklace holder could be awkward. The Hip-Sip allows the stemware to easily be removed and replaced through a narrow opening in the cradle, yet still supports the glass securely.

The solution M. Laslovits presents is to have a clip on attachment to a tray or plate, that allows one hand to be free. Again, this solution precludes the possibility of using two hands.

Baker and Dubow have holders that simply mount on a wine bottle or allow the user to carry more than one glass at a time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The Hip-Sip is a formed device that provides support for a stemware vessel that typically would contain wine, or other delicious beverage. It supports the glass from a circular base which has a narrow opening large enough to allow the stem of the vessel to pass through with ease. The near-circular base supports the glass and allows the stemware to gimbal in response to the wearers movements, preventing the wine from sloshing out of the glass. Should the wearer wish an less mobile grip on the glass, the support may be coated with a non-slip gel or plastic, similar to grips on common tools, such as pliers. The Hip-Sip extends from the base to a curved section that creates an obtuse angle with the base. The top of the support section is bent back upon itself in a 180 degree angle. This section is designed to slip over an article of clothing, most likely a belt to allow for the Hip-Sip to be worn as a holster. The support structure's angle relative to the base is designed to keep the cradle parallel to the ground for maximum stability and also somewhat away from the body so the glass does not touch the clothing of the wearer.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The figures used here are based on the Hip-Sip being fabricated from ⅛ inch diameter wire and are for illustrative purposes only. The Hip-Sip may be manufactured from any suitable material, such as plastic, and is not limited to material used in the illustrations.

FIGS. 1,2 and 3 will be discussed concurrently since

FIG. 1 illustrates the top view of the Hip-Sip,

FIG. 2 illustrates the side view, and

FIG. 3 represents the Hip-Sip being worn and supporting a wine glass.

FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of the stemware holder with the base and support arm. The width of the support (1) provides lateral stability for the Hip-Sip. It can vary in width. As shown it is about ¾ inch wide. Item 8 is the gap in the near-circular base that provides the entrance and egress for the supported stemware. Usually this gap (10) is from ⅜ inch to ¾ inch.

FIG. 1 Item 7 shows the radius of the cradle. The Hip-Sip may be made to support a variety of glass styles and this radius may be smaller than shown to support narrow glasses, such as champagne glasses that would appear to be able to slip through the Hip-Sip as illustrated.

Item 10 is the angle of the support arm to the base. This is more than 90 degrees to allow for the typical human waist to hip ratio and is designed to keep the base parallel to the ground. It may be adjusted as necessary.

FIG. 1, Items 3, 4 and 5 are angles designed to cause the outside edges of width (1) to meet and be fused so that the cradle is stable. The fusing keeps the cradle from expanding outward from the weight of a full glass and keeps the radius (7) consistent.

The angle (6) is the offset from the center line of the Hip-Sip. This angle places the gap (8) somewhere in the area typically more than 90 and less than 180 degrees from the support arm. The placement of the gap (8) is placed so the insertion and removal of a glass is convenient.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 3 shows the invention being worn over the belt of a user and cradling a filled wine glass. The embodiment shown is made from ⅛^(th) inch wire that is bent and formed into the shape shown in detail in drawings 1 and 2, showing the top and side views respectively. The cradle portion of the invention may be coated with a frictional material to provide added stability. The invention may also be constructed of other suitable material, including, but not limited to heat formed acrylic plastic, tough elastimer, or injection molded plastic. In each case, the invention consists of a cradle that nearly encircles the bulb of the glass being held, an curved extension that forms angle 10, and a tightly bent support that is designed to loop over an article of clothing from which it may be suspended. The design allows the wearer free use of both hands. The supported stemware may also be suspended from the base, when empty for added stability when moving a distance, say between wineries.

When made of wire, as shown, the cradle is a simple loop. When made of acrylic or plastic, the elements of the cradle are wider and tapered from top to bottom to form a bowl shaped structure that provides secure support for the stemware, as plastics may lack the strength of the invention's metal form. 

I claim:
 1. A stemware holder that clips over a wearer's clothing comprising: a cradle that is composed of a loop of metal or a bowl shape, with a connection to a clip that is slipped over the wearer's belt or pant top. A clip element that is wide enough to keep the invention's cradle normal to the wearer's body A connecting element that is angled to place the cradle nearly parallel to the ground.
 2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the connecting element is either one piece or fused to maintain the shape of the cradle under load. The connecting element is generally curved away from the body of the wearer to hold the cradle away from the wearer so that nearly any size stemware vessel can be used, including large goblets typically used for red wine. The connecting section curve is such that the cradle is supported roughly parallel to the ground.
 3. The invention of claim 2 wherein the clip portion is typically a “U” shaped piece with the section nearest the wearer designed to slip neatly over the edge of the wearer's clothing, and extending down roughly half the distance of the outer section of the clip portion. The outer section is extended down the outside of the wearer's garment and is basically suspended from said garment such that gravity will tend to keep the invention at a perpendicular angle to the ground. The clip portion is also wide enough to keep the invention from swaying around the wearer's body. 